Car-starter



(No Model.)

G. H. BROWN.

UAR STARTER.

No. 390,443. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

5141mm [70 zwitnesses UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES H. BROWN, OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,443, dated October2, 1888.

Application filed April 6, 1888. Serial No. 209,782.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BROWN, of Syracuse, county of Onondaga,in the State of New York, a citizen of the United States, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in OarStartersofwhich the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is an elevation from one side with one of the main wheelsremoved. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 shows details of thegrip-block, a top plan, and a vertical section on line 00. Fig.4isahorizontal section on line y 1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is asectionalelevation of the grip-block and drivingpulley, with the grip-block andlever engaged with the pulley.

My invention relates to devices designed to aid the starting ofstreet-railway cars and other Vehicles.

My object is to produce such a device ofsimple construction and of greatutility.

It consists in the several novel features of construction and operationhereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims hereuntoannexed.

It is constructed as follows: A is the car, mounted upon the axle 1,upon which are the wheels 2, in anyordinary manner. Upon this axle,between the wheels 2,I secure the doubleflanged pulley Upon the bottomof the car, in suitable slides, it, I place the draft-rod 5, upon thefront end of which is a book, 6, and adjacent thereto is a ratchet, 7;and 8 is a pawl engaging with the ratchet, the pawl being mounted in thedash of the car-platform, and to the rear end of this rod is secured arope or chain,9,passing over the pulley 10and secured to the lever 11.Thislever is pivotally mounted in the grip-block 12, said block beingslotted longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 3 at 13, a slotway convergingfrom the front and rear ends of the grip to the hole which receives thepin upon which the lever is mounted. In the front edge of this grip is agripping-slot, 14, curved to correspond with the curve of the pe'riphery of the wheel 3, the arms 15 oft-he slot way hooking over theflanges of the wheel The point of the lever 11 is beveled, as shown inFig.5. I also show alever pivotally mounted in the platform of the carand having itslower (No model.)

end pivotally connected to the draw-bar 5, so that by this lever 16 thedraw-bar can be moved back and forth in the slides.

It is operated as follows: In Fig. 1 I show the car at a standstill.Then, when strain or draft is applied to the draw-bar 5, it is drawnout-ward, pulling the chain with it,which first raises the rear end ofthe lever, and this throws the lever-point firmly against theperipheryof the pulley 3, and, secondly, the continued strain upon the leverdraws the grip-block against the flange of the wheel, and all togethercause the pulley 3 to rotate, carrying with it the axle and the mainwheels 2,rotating them, and thus starting the car. It will be observedthat when strain is applied to the draw-bar the first effect is to throwthe point of the lever against the periphery of the pulley-wheel 3, thepoint bearing firmly against it, and that the second effect is that asthe strain continues the leverage of the lever upon the grip-block, itspoint having then a f ulcral bearing upon the pulley, draws the griptightly against the inner face of the double flange, and that on accountof the hinge-con nection between the lever and grip-block the grip blockis free to oscillate, so that it will conform itself to the inner faceof the flanges, thus giving the blocka bearing for its whole lengthagainst the flange, thereby giving a stronger grip and reducing thechances ofslipping to the minimum.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The combination, with the axle and doubleflanged wheel mountedthereon between the main supporting-wheels of the car, of a grip blockinclosing both flanges of the wheel, and a lever hinged to thegrip-block and connected to the draft-bar, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with the pulley 3, provided with a double flange, ofa grip-block slotted vertically to embrace the flanges and adapted to beraised vertically against them by the strain upon the lever 11, hingedto the grip-block, and provided with a pointadapted to have a fulcralbearing against the pulley, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the pulley 3,0f the gripblock 12, slottedvertically to receive the flanges of the pulley, and the lever 11, propulley-flanges when power is applied to the vided with a beveled pointand connected to lever, substantially as described. [0 the draftbar 5,substantially as described. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 4.The combination of a lever, 11, engaging hand this 4th day of April,1888. with the periphery of the pulley 3, and the CHAS. H. BROXVN.grip-block 12, hinged to the lever and receiv- In presence ofing theflanges of'the pulley in a vertical slot, 0. WV. SMITH, and bearingagainst the inner surfaces of the H. l. DENTSON.

